The Boxelder Bugs are Waiting to Invade You (Probably Already Have)

It doesn’t matter how clean you are.....or tidy, neat, fastidious, hygenic, pristeen, sanitary, or anal. More than likely you can still be invaded by Boxelder bugs.

Even though they mostly hide during spring and summer, you won’t begin to see them until fall. That’s when they anticipate the upcoming cold weather and search for places to hibernate. Before you actually see them inside the house, you’ll spot them outside clinging to the walls or edges of the house.

In the fall, boxelder bugs group in large numbers wherever there is sunlight. Then they take off, in search of buildings or homes to spend the winter.

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So, what are some of the best ways to get rid of these little SOB’s? Here are some tips from the Real Simple website:

1) Don’t smush them...they stink like stinkbugs when you do. Catch them in a jar, take them away from the home and release them. It’s a pain, but crushing them emits those foul odors. I guess you could flush ‘em down the toilet, but then your paranoia would think they’d be crawling back up...at a most inopportune time. Remember, “flush, don’t sqwush.”

2) Use a vacuum cleaner. Suck ‘em up and empty the bag ASAP.....because yeah, they can crawl back out.

3) Soapy water works. Put some liquid dish liquid and water in a spray bottle and spray directly on the bugs. They have an outer protection that will dissolve under the soapy solution and they will die.

4) Diatomaceous Earth is an organic insecticide that absorbs the outer layer of most bugs making them dehydrate and eventually die. Safe for pets and people, spread a thin layer of this stuff at the parts of the house where the bugs mat get in: window sills, under doors, etc.

5) Spray some Neem Oil on plants where the bugs congregate. Neem is non-toxic and can be used as a natural way to eliminate these pests.

They’re out there waiting already. Be prepared!